The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-28
BADLY POLLUTED WATER.
Discovery of the Cause of the Strange
Illness Of an East-End Family,
Water, Which Caused One Death-Other
Wells Believed To Be Contaminated.

Frank W. Graham, who lives at No. 60 Archer
street, and is Waterman in the fire depart
ment, several weeks ago was taken sick with a
peculiar disease that bafled the skill of the FAM
lily physician. He was affected with fever, and,
while not apparently in a dangerous condition,
was unable to work Last week the two chill
dren of Mr.. Graham became sick, the symptoms
of their illness being the same as in the case of
their father, and yesterday morning one of them
died. 1t was thought by many that the cause
OF the sickness was the water drunk by the fam
lily, and Chief Webster, of the fire department,
on last Saturday took a quantity of it
from the we'll to have it analysed. On close OBJ
servation animal life could be seen in the liquid
with the naked eye The water was taken to
Prof. j. N. Hurry, the chemist, who yesterday
made an analysis of it, and the result of it was
startling. Viewed through two-foot tube the
water has a yellowish color and contains many
animal forms and floating particles. The water.
when heated, gives off musty and
foul odor. The taste is family salty.
1t contains: Chlorine in CELEBRATES 9.75.
Nitrogen nitrates. and nitrites was
quite abundant; ammonia, LAG; albuminal
ammonia, GAS. Oxygen absorbed in fifteen
minutes, 1892; oxygen absorbed in four hours
1402 These figures evidence most horrible
pollution. The quantity of chlorine given shows
to a certainty the presence of urine and other
RECOMMENDATIONS products, and evinces the fact
that the past history of the water is very bad.
The quantity Of free and albumnous ammonia
proves the presence of heterogeneous oxygen mat
ter OF animal origin in enormous quantity. The
quantities of oxygen absorbed in the
spective times given Fifteen minutes and
four hours) show what an enormous
amount of publication is necessary before the
water would be fit for human consumption.
The microscopical examination gives absolute
and alarming evidence of pollution. The mi
croscope reveals much mineral and vegetable
matter. indicative of contamination of house re-
fuse, such as linen and cotton fabrics and human
hair. 1t contains also, some dead organic mat
ter, both vegetable aud animal. Some of the
living animals visible to the
naked eye They rejoice in such names
as rotifer vulgaris and cyclops guaducorrus.
The most prominently visible animal to
the naked eye is a white albumnous mass of
fearful appearance, sucking in the water in
enormous quantities and ejecting the same, thus
propelling itself with great rapidity. All these
animal and vegetable forms are associated with
to health. But they exist only in putrid water
and live off the filth which is food to them. but
death to man. l. is we'll known that many
minor complaints, such as morning languor and
excessive sleeplessness are very frequently due
to drinking purified water.
1t is the opinion OF physicians generally that
all the we'll water in that portion of the city
may be infected in the same W ay. Mr.. Ora
hams residence is near the arsenal and while
there has not been great deal of complaint of
sickness in the locality, it is accounted for by
| the fact that there are but few
persons living there The water is
| almost equal to the poisonous drugs
| and if drunk for any length of time must mean
| sudden death. Whether the wells gen.
orally furnishing the same kind of water can
| only be learned by an analysis, and the local
| board of health will be ordered to investigate
the matter to-day. DR.. Hurry is of the opinion
| that the water must come from a main that
drains privy vaults in some portion of the city.
and if that is the case there must be hundreds of
| wells in the same condition.
| Fire Chief Webster furnishes the informa-
ton that several years ago, when he had a
| cistern dug in that locality, he had the dirt
| dumped into the yard Of the Graham residence,
and thinks that may explain the bad condition
Of the water. Another theory is that,
Wcmans Reformatory, all the re-
fuse from there flowed through
| q sewer to Pogue's run, and it may be posi-
BILE that all the territory adjacent to the run be-
came contaminated with the filth. Mr.. Ora
hams lot is only short distance from the run,
| and this theory is accepted by many as tho mos,
| plausible.
| The horrible condition of the water, and the
fatal result its drinking has caused. calls up the
| question as to the purity of the water fur
| nished by the water works. Mr.. Hurry says
that it is perfectly pure, and much analysis by
him leads him to believe that it is as pure as the
much-vaunted Waukesha water that is being
| bottled and sent to all portions Of the country.
| For several months he analvzed the water every
| week, and in all that time he never was able &c
/ find any impurity. Sometimes ne found the
water muddy after fire, but even then there
| were no impurities, and muddy water is not in
| the least dangerous to good health.